Masters of the Universe, Tim Noble & Sue Webster (1998-2000). All photographs by Oskar Proctor for ArtObserved.

“Skin Fruit,” the much-anticipated, Jeff Koons­-curated exhibition featuring million-dollar works by the biggest names in contemporary art continues at the New Museum through June 6, 2010. The New Museum’s questionable decision to exhibit works from the collection of one of its trustees, Greek billionaire Dakis Joannou, resulted in an art world controversy that threatened to upstage the show itself from the very beginning. When a large mix of celebrities and art-world-insiders flooded the Museum for the opening reception – attendees included Cyndi Lauper, U2’s the Edge, and collectors Don and Mera Rubell – the irony of placing the ritzy collection in a museum that was once championed for its promotion of the underdog was only exaggerated. And the critics responded accordingly. Christian Viveros-Fauné lambasted that the show is totally wrong for our times “in just about every possible way.” According to the exhibition press release, the featured works by Franz West, Charles Ray, Matthew Barney, Richard Prince, Robert Gober, Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Kiki Smith, Kara Walker, Maurizio Cattelan, Tauba Auerbach, Chris Ofili, Dan Colen and Terence Koh, amongst others, aim to “evoke the tensions between exterior and interior, between what we see and what we consume” – a curatorial spin critics say was invented in an effort to disguise a “rudderless display of art as trophy hunting” as an art exhibition. While this may be true, Skin Fruit essentially offers the common man an opportunity to view important works from one of the finest and most original collections of contemporary art in the world that have rarely, or never been seen in New York.

Revolution Counter-Revolution, Charles Ray (1990/2010)

Photo-essay and full round-up of links after the jump….

Untitled (Bowed Woman), KikiSmith (1995)

Fall ’91, Charles Ray (1992)

Selections from the Survival Series, Jenny Holzer (1984)

Installation View: In the foreground – Gartenpouf, Franz West (2007), Nomo, Paul Althamer (2009)

Wednesday Box, Mark Manders (2002)

Black Narcissus, Tim Noble & Sue Webster (2006)

Inner Visions, Chris Ofili (1998) and Aluminum Girl, Charles Ray (2003)

Detail of Aluminum Girl, Charles Ray (2003)

Thirty Pieces of Silver, Chris Ofili (2006)

Sneakers 1, Andro Wekua (2008)

Cave Painting, Mike Kelley (1984)

Detail of Inochi, Takashi Murakami (2004)

I’m in a Limousine (Following a Hearse), Richard Prince (2005-06)

Maltratierte Fregatte, John Bock (2006-07)

Nemesis 52, Haris Epaminonda (2003)

Untitled (Ripped Face Drawing), Jim Shaw (2003-04)

Highway (1979-2007), Two Spread Legs (1991) and Pitched Crib (1987) by Robert Gober

Megas Dakis, Roberto Cuoghi (2007)

All, Maurizio Cattelan (2007)

Let’s Make Christmas Mean Something This Year, Mark Bradford (2007)

F.O.B., Ashley Bickerton (1993)

My dad is stronger than yours, Rainbow Rocket Bill and Friend, Jannis Varelas (2005)

Black Maxima, Nate Lowman (2005)

Untitled (Stones), Cindy Sherman (1985)

Noodles, Urs Fischer (2009)

Garland, Elliot Hundley (2007)

Detail of Paula Jones, Paul McCarthy (2007)

Detail of Paula Jones, Paul McCarthy (2007)

Now, Maurizio Cattelan (2004)

Holy Shit (Mirror), Dan Colen (2006)

Silver Morosa, Nigel Cooke (2002-2003)

Still from Ein Blonder Traum, Vanessa Beecroft (1994)

Schedule of the Crucifix, Pawel Althamer (2005)

Detail of Masters of the Universe, Tim Noble & Sue Webster (1998-2000)

Leaving the Scene, Kara Walker (1996)

Untitled, Robert Gober (1987)

Detail of Untitled (Chocolate Mountains), Terence Koh (2006)

Corner Bed, Robert Gober (1987)

Pazuzu, Roberto Cuoghi (2008)

Super Sister, Liza Lou (1999) and Crumple VI, Tauba Auerbach (2008)

Untitled (Chocolate Mountains) by Terence Koh (2006), Cioran Handrail by Urs Fischer (2006) and Revolution Counter-Revolution by Charles Ray (1990/2010) refelcted in The Cave by David Altmejd (2008)

Super Sister, Liza Lou (1999)

Untergang der Medusa, John Bock (2006-07)

Related Links:
Doug McClemont on the Dakis Joannou Collection at the New Museum, New York [The Saatchi Gallery]
Jeff Koons Curates New Museum Show; Says U2’s The Edge: ‘It’s Incredible’ [WSJ]
Less Than the Sum of Its Parts – Jerry Saltz [NY Mag]
Saltz: How the New Museum Might Stop Annoying People [NY Mag]
Controversial New Museum Opening Dazzles, Kicking Off Armory Arts Week [NY Mag]
Jeff Koons Curator’s Debut Features Candy Giants, Jesus: Review [Bloomberg]
“Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection” – The New Museum confuses money with taste [Time Out]
A Guide to Jeff Koons’s “Skin Fruit” New Museum Sausage Party [Village Voice]
Art Critics: Get Real! By Adam Lindemann [New York Observer]
IT’S NOT THE SIZE…. by Ben Davis [ArtNet Magazine]
THE SHOCK OF THE NEW by Charlie Finch [ArtNet Magazine]
Big Time “Skin Fruit,” at the New Museum by Peter Schjeldahl [The New Yorker]
Anti-Mainstream Museum’s Mainstream Show [NY Times]
Skin Fruit, New Museum, New York [FT.com]
“Skin Fruit” at the New Museum Reviewed [Animal New York]
What “Skin Fruit” Says About Jeff Koons [ArtInfo]

This entry was posted on Monday, May 3rd, 2010 at 1:00 am and is filed under Go See. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.